Sometimes it’s ok when nursery trees are planted too deep – Port Orford cedar ground layered its lowest branches

I purchased this guy from my local nursery as my first tree last June. I realized it was potted up way too deep and was starting to put out some adventitious roots from the lowest couple of branches. Instead of digging out the top inch of soil, I left most of it in place and pre-wired the branches while still on the parent tree.

Several months later, I have some well-rooted new cuttings with (hopefully) decent trunk movement.

The first one (square pond basket) I’m doing as a root-over-rock, there’s a hunk of stone buried in an inch or so with the roots spread over it. Pic 3 shows it poking out a little bit.

The second one I’m thinking of doing as either a cascade and further bending the trunk line down, or doing an informal upright and establishing a new leader from one of the sprigs.

I don’t really have a plan for the third one yet. Its roots are way less developed than the other two, so i might just grow it out for a couple years and see where we end.

The last couple pictures are of the parent tree as it came from the nursery.

Obviously these all are a decade or more away from being show ready, so any styling suggestions are welcome!